We've got a few really tough away games in there, but we should/could/hopefully win those home ones. Knowing us, we will beat Man U, Leiecester, Tottenham and lose to Watford/West Brom.
Leicester should win all their remaining home games as well so might not have to worry about their last two away games against United and Chelsea. Our away form from now on will define our season
Right now I'm wishing we weren't even competing in the CL. The result vs Barca over those two legs is going to have a huge affect on our mentality for the run in.
That second to last game of the season vs City is also very huge!
Right now I'm wishing we weren't even competing in the CL. The result vs Barca over those two legs is going to have a huge affect on our mentality for the run in.
That second to last game of the season vs City is also very huge!
Agreed. It's an odd thing the CL. If you're fighting on the domestic front you don't want it to distract you, but if you're not competing and setting in for just qualifying for the CL you end up not being good enough to compete in the first place.
An alternate way of looking at it is that if we win the tie (not impossible) we get a huge mental boost, at the expense of at least 2 more games. If we lose (very possible) we have less games to play at the expense of the teams mentality.
The pragmatist would like to lose 2-0 away, then 2-1 at home. We go out 3-2 which is respectable, while having still summoned a victory over Barcelona which is decent.
The hopeless Arsenal romantic would love nothing more than watching Sanchez knock his old club out, and for Koscielny to have Messi sized stretch marks in his back pocket as we knock them out.
That is another advantage to Leicester, also - they can focus solely on the PL. In saying that, in theory their squad isn't as deep as ours.
Playing less games and having a smaller squad helps with cohesion - the last time Liverpool mounted a serious title challenge they played a lot less games than City, eventual champs, and not rotating players helps hugely ('Nix are good example of that).
That is another advantage to Leicester, also - they can focus solely on the PL. In saying that, in theory their squad isn't as deep as ours.
This is what I'm hanging my hat on. Surely they will tire, they have a core group of just 13 or 14 max that have nearly played every game. Thought it would have happened already to be fair, but it should still happen. There's no easy games in the EPL and there will be a handful where they aren't quite as motivated and their opposition come out hard. Can they win those games? They have so far on the most part, but it will get harder and harder.
And if Mahrez, Vardy or even one of the others goes down with an injury it will have a big impact on them - we've already been through this with Sanchez, Cazorla, Coquelin and others, and we're still hanging in there.
In saying all of the above, they can get no injuries and not tire whatsoever, and we can still win the thing if we play enough. Our lads just need to focus internally and get the job done.
F*ck this game is going to be massive this weekend. Feel like a nervous sh*t just thinking about it.
Arsene Wenger, Roberto Martinez, Eddie Howe, Slaven Bilic and Jurgen Klopp all walk into a bar. Wenger, Martinez, Howe and Bilic buy the first rounds. As Klopp went to buy his round Wenger said "Sit down mate, this is the 5th round and you're not in it"
Looking ahead to the foxes I would hope to see:
Cech
Bellerin Gabriel Kosc Monreal
Ramsey Coquellin
Walcott Ozil Sanchez
Giroud
My thinking is that Gabriel is being applauded by the manager and growing in confidence, hopefully keeping that going might see him kick out some of his nervous moments. Coquellin could also be fit for a start, and that would make a great change from seeing Flamini two footing people. Walcott has experience on his side, and I think moving him back to the wing to play off Giroud would help unleash his pace and bring him back to his best. The rest is self explanatory.
Because Kroenke has made all of his money through ownership of a football club.
Of all his revenue streams I'd hazard a guess that Arsenal has made him by far the least amount of money.
This is a guy married into Walmart lets not forget - the world's largest company by revenue.
Looking ahead to the foxes I would hope to see:
Cech
Bellerin Gabriel Kosc Monreal
Ramsey Coquellin
Walcott Ozil Sanchez
Giroud
My thinking is that Gabriel is being applauded by the manager and growing in confidence, hopefully keeping that going might see him kick out some of his nervous moments. Coquellin could also be fit for a start, and that would make a great change from seeing Flamini two footing people. Walcott has experience on his side, and I think moving him back to the wing to play off Giroud would help unleash his pace and bring him back to his best. The rest is self explanatory.
I'd be happy with that... but if I'm honest I'd probably plump for Campbell over Walcott. Offers better protection for Bellerin plus is far more involved in the game throughout, which we will need. Plus Theo could be a great injection of pace in the second half - both if we're leading and playing on the break, or behind and chasing goals.
Kroenke is absolute scum of the earth in my books and the quicker he gets out of the club the better.
Probably the biggest game for us since the Champions League final this weekend. Most players are fit, we are at home and have it all to play for. Do we have the bottle, Monday morning we will have the answer.
Where to begin. He uses the club as a cash cow and would rather see us makes profits than win the league. He has royalled the American sports clubs he has owned by doing the same thing to them including relocating a team to a different state for financial reasons. He takes the piss with ticket prices for supporters, again what he has done to other sports team where he is universally disliked. He has no idea of what a football club is. He underpays long-term staff. He runs the place like the dictatorship so that any differing opinion is banned. He has done no good for the club whatsoever.
Apart from that, no real concerns .
[quote=brumbys]
Looking ahead to the foxes I would hope to see:
Cech
Bellerin Gabriel Kosc Monreal
Ramsey Coquellin
Walcott Ozil Sanchez
Giroud
My thinking is that Gabriel is being applauded by the manager and growing in confidence, hopefully keeping that going might see him kick out some of his nervous moments. Coquellin could also be fit for a start, and that would make a great change from seeing Flamini two footing people. Walcott has experience on his side, and I think moving him back to the wing to play off Giroud would help unleash his pace and bring him back to his best. The rest is self explanatory.
Pretty spot on but i'd pick Joel over Wally to be honest, i was really expecting wally to kick on this season and start delivering but he's still very hit and miss
go gunners
Walcott is a bit of a problem. He has the occasional purple patch but at 26, and current longest serving player, he is constantly injured & not living up to the hype.
You do have to wonder how long we'll keep him and what's best for his career.
Where to begin. He uses the club as a cash cow and would rather see us makes profits than win the league. He has royalled the American sports clubs he has owned by doing the same thing to them including relocating a team to a different state for financial reasons. He takes the piss with ticket prices for supporters, again what he has done to other sports team where he is universally disliked. He has no idea of what a football club is. He underpays long-term staff. He runs the place like the dictatorship so that any differing opinion is banned. He has done no good for the club whatsoever.
Apart from that, no real concerns .
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ownership_of_Arsenal...
Intriguing.
He isn't the chairman of the board, however. My understanding is that as a non-executive director he isn't in a position to demand anything.
His experiences in the US shouldn't reflect how they'll pan out here, given the clubs set up.
can't wait for the big game this weekend....hoping for city and spuds to draw. If we are still in the mixer heading into the final 6 games....Chelsea might be our best mate LOL they will play spuds, city and leicester in the final 6 games
really not looking forward to seeing Neymar, Suarez and Messi together on the pitch against us
go gunners
on Danny Welbeck…
He
is doing well, it is a bit early for him maybe but he is now back to
full power in training. It is a big possibility [he could be involved
against Hull next week]. We gave him one or two days recovery after the
under-21 game, but now he is back in full training. He has worked very
hard and he is fit.
on Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla…
They
are back running, they are on a fitness programme now so it means it is
not a question of months anymore, it is a question of weeks for them to
be back.
[quote]
on Danny Welbeck…
He
is doing well, it is a bit early for him maybe but he is now back to
full power in training. It is a big possibility [he could be involved
against Hull next week]. We gave him one or two days recovery after the
under-21 game, but now he is back in full training. He has worked very
hard and he is fit.
on Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla…
They
are back running, they are on a fitness programme now so it means it is
not a question of months anymore, it is a question of weeks for them to
be back.
Can't wait to see Santi back, i want to get excited about Wilshere but just expect him to get injured before he even manages to play a game
go gunners
https://www.football365.com/news/welbeck-wilshere-s...
Welbs & Wilshere attending an England Euro Squad meeting. It's a big group getting together which indicates they're still in the mix, with the final squad yet to be announced.
Can't wait for Santi to come back
Anything out of Wilshere this season will be a bonus, and I'm secretly hoping he doesn't go to the Euros...
Very intrigued to see how Welbeck comes out of his injury troubles. Largely a forgotten man, has a lot to prove, and has all the raw ingredients.
I'm coming around to the striker recruitment need but not because of Giroud's inability, but because backing him up is the injury prone Walcott, Welbeck, and the every awkward Sanogo.
I've been one of Walcott's biggest fans over the years but it does seem a bit ridiculous he's been at the club 10 years and the answer to the question "what has he done?" is not very long. Starting to think we won't renew his contract and end up selling him this time to be honest.
I think we need to ask some serious questions of Walcott & Wilshere in the off season and assess whether or not they're worth hanging on to, given their inability to last a season. It's not Arsene's frugalness or his desire to develop youth, but rather his loyalty to quality injury prone players that probably hurts us the most.
This topic is locked.
